Circus Sheep And Ring Leaders
Please excuse me for using an analogy that is dated and offensive for some people. But as a pastor (a word taken from the root word for shepherd), I often have a useful picture of myself dressed in shepherd’s clothes with a shepherd’s crook sitting in the grass leaning against a tree overlooking the flock. The flock is gently grazing in the lush grass or lying down or drinking from the nearby stream. I might have a book in my hands or a guitar, and I simply pass the day making sure that there is no danger approaching, that the sheep are not being harmed by another one, that the water is pure and the grass is poison-free. There’s some veterinarian work to do, some meandering travel, some minor intervention, but that’s it. Nothing else. Nothing at all. We pass the day, and every other day should hopefully be the same. I think that this is good pastoral ministry. In fact, I insist that this is pastoral ministry at its best!
I confess that I am very tempted to follow the bustling throng and, like most other shepherds seem to be doing, teach my sheep how to jump through hoops of fire, stand on their heads, form sheep-pyramids, shoulder a yoke and haul stone, hook them up to ploughs and clear forests and all kinds of other tricks. Or perhaps I could teach my sheep how to give me full-body massages. Or maybe they can chop pieces off themselves to cook me up something to eat whenever I get a hankering for lamb. Or, why don’t we just speed things up and I slaughter them all and sell their meat and turn their hides into sports-car seat covers? And I could sell the rams’ horns for shofars to blow during worship songs.
I was chatting with someone today who mentioned that it must be very very stressful being a pastor. “I just can’t imagine,” he said. I told him that the hardest part of pastoring for me is keeping things simple. Staving off all temptations for theatrics is the hardest part. Simply relaxing against that tree overlooking the flock doesn’t seem to cut it in popular opinion. Just letting the sheep be without micro-managing their rumps off is just too… too… too pastoral!
Oh… look how even old posts can stir up the controversy we thought had settled!
And look how nice this guy is to me!
The pic is just one I dragged off the internet. A young man doing his mundane day to day passion as a shepherd. I think he’s beautiful.
church, community, leadership, ministry, naked, pastor, sheep, shepherd Share This
Who are these pastors you know??? You need to hang around a different crowd!
Hi David. Thanks for the link back. I’m very glad I stumbled upon your blog. I liked your post today.
It is so hard to just let God take care of the work upon a person’s heart. The work of the Holy Spirit is indeed complex yet beautiful and our sinful nature desires so much of His rightful glory when it comes to people’s lives before God.
I grew up as a son and a grandson of pastors and understand first hand how brutal the sheep can be. In fact, I’m glad I’m not a pastor because of that experience. But I don’t think I like your analogy. Being a shepherd is brutal, hard work. A shepherd is continuosly exposed to elements, continuosly roaming, ever vigilant, engaging in life or death battles with wildlife that is larger than life itself. It takes courage and incredible effort and strenght to be a shepherd. I don’t believe the image of Jesus as a shepherd that the institutional church has passed down to me of a gentle soul relaxing in the grass reading and singing and eating grapes. I believe the more accurate image of a shepherd is a wild and rugged man of courage. I don’t think that fits your analogy.
brian: i think it’s me i hang around with too much.
doug: i agree with you. what you say fits with what i mean. you are right though… it isn’t all relaxation, but hard work. but the hard work is to safeguard the sheep and keep the flock healthy. that’s what i mean.
hey there nakedpastorman - good to see the buy you a beer is back
plus, if I might add… no matter what the conditions, I still think this is a good image to hold in my mind… not to panic, over-react, or pull muscle… no matter what the situation, it is wise to picture myself as in a place of peace, stillness and oversight.
I sort of think of Jesus Christ as the Great Shepherd and the Main Pastor - head of all sheep. Doug’s image of a Shepherd fits Christ - a radical leader. From Him I believe that He pastors His sheep through people in the body. People are called to be used so that He can minister pastoring through these people. Quite often - lots of times, you get people who become prideful and want to be glorified as the sheep with all the attention.
David I think this is probably a struggle for you as I know it is for many who sincerely desire to serve God. Being called to serve God in a particular area is tough when you’re in the box [so to speak]. I apologize if it sounds like I’m making assumptions. While our sincere intentions are to serve God, sometimes we’re forced into situations where we serve man.
When we’re filled with the Spirit of God and He’s the one in charge of pastoring through us and we’re not the one’s in charge trying to be the Shepherd of His flock then He provides us with strength etc. etc.
I always remind myself - Let Him be the Shepherd/Pastor/Teacher etc. and if He chooses to use my empty vesel then so be it. I never want to assume that He wants me in charge.
part of keeping things out is keeping myself out. leave them be!
I don’t find the sheep anology offensive at all, at least in terms of my own personal experience - I don’t always see to myself very well, I have the capacity to be swept up in a herd (read mob) mentality if I don’t intentionally stop myself, I can make poor decisions and wander aimlessly with no shepherd.
My view of Jesus is not the milquetoaste “turn the other cheek” safe, non-offensive Jesus - my Jesus is angry at hypocrisy, turning temple tables even as He is loving and compassionate with sinners (me
Caring for his sheep even as he is searching for those who are lost is what Jesus is all about, isn’t he?
I do have one question. Why we would be ‘forced’ into serving man - isn’t that part of what God calls us to do? Didn’t Jesus tell Peter to “feed my sheep.” What does that mean if not serving and caring for his followers? Serving one another is part of serving God. We nurture one another and hold each other accountable. What would a gifted Pastor do other than serve God and serve the congregation? Not in an unhealthy ‘do what we tell you to’ way, but a ‘we’re in this together and let’s work as a team to serve our God’ way.
Unless you are referring to situations where we would serve man - instead of God - putting our own selfish motives and desires ahead of what God calls us to?
And granted I have never been a Pastor so it may appear simplistic, but faithful sheep honor God too.
Every time I visit my sister’s farm I realise what annoying animals sheep are. Their incessant bleating really gets my goat (!) If they think you have something for them, they come rushing over, no regard for each other and will happily knock you over too in order to get it. I don’t think this metaphor has been milked enough yet. We’re just too much like them.
Lor ~> Sort of a long explanation - don’t want to use up too much space.
You’re on the right track of what I was referring to. It’s easy to serve the desires of man. Maintenance of man’s doctrine, symbols, traditions and rituals can get to such a point that we’re spending more time doing those things than we are really seeing that the sheep are fed.
When I think of serving it means that the one I serve becomes my master. By serving man I believe we run the risk of allowing ourselves to make man our master. By man I mean what man’s instituted. So when I say forced into serving I don’t mean that we’re not supposed to help others etc. We have to qualify what really is being served too. Many Pastors/Leaders are forced into positions where they have to bow to the demands of the denomination or congregation that employs them. It’s difficult to nuture the sheep when the demands of what has been instituted interferes with the process. The danger is that when a person called of God to pastor/lead is wanting to serve God many times it rubs against the grain of what the sheep want. I wonder how many congregations really honestly look at it as they’re all working as a team of sheep. Unfortunately, human sheep relinquish their responsibility to all be ministers, they adhere to something instituted for them and then employ [force] someone to maintain it for them. Then when that person wants to serve God and not them they get rid of that person. Sorry for the long explanation, my apologies.
hopefully the shepherd who is a wild and rugged man of courage can also take a bit of time and relax against a tree while overlooking the flock.
what i get out of this post is that many shepherds either have pressure to become a king or have the desire to become a king vs. simply being a shepherd. complexity; performance; mini-kingdom expansion vs. simplicity; peace & contentment; giving & releasing.
The sheep analogy is neither outdated or offensive. My observations reflect Gracie’s experience above. The Lord, as always, knows what He is talking about when he refers to us as sheep. I value the imagery, and I think that it gets richer as one looks deeper into it.
Generally speaking, too, the shepherd’s job is to lead the sheep, which includes provision and protection. And the shepherd holds in his hand the ultimate destination for the sheep…he knows the way and the time. It is not normative that the sheep lead, either, with the shepherd following along behind. That usually doesn’t work out so well.
They share an important relationship, to be sure.
Baaaaaaaaaaaa
“…like most other shepherds seem to be doing…”
Really? Is that the case?
Good post, though. I think there is more that shepherds do, though. “Look, don’t eat that, that’s weeds. Eat over here where the good grass is. Next time, make sure you choose to eat the good grass yourself, and I’ll just keep an eye on you from time to time.”
1. i think mummy sheep teach’em that fred.
2. sheep just are offensive. look into their eyes, nothing there… just darkness!
3. i love lamb with mint sauce… it rocks! i was feeding the lambs on my mates organic farm the other day and thinking… mmmmmmmmm, a freezer full coming soon!
4. did you know… the only thing that causes a sheep ‘to lie down in green pastures’ is when it is well fed?… according to a onetime shepherd friend of mine that’s the only thing that’ll do it. so there you go, another verse of the psalms unravelled!
I have been thinking about this analogy a lot this week. Left my comment over on my blog because it was so long. Midwives and Shepherds Thanks again for making me think.